A New Beginning: Post Scene to Last Call
by Mulderette
Summary: Bosco, Sully and Ty's point of views What happens when the men return from the cabin. Please R&R. Thanks.
1. Ty's POV

Title: A New Beginning - Post Scene to Last Call  
Author: Lynne Facella  
Email: lynne1919@aol.com  
Spoilers: Through current season 4  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.  
Summary: Ty and Sully return home after what took place at the cabin.   
  
******  
  
I nervously sat in the role call room, looking at the clock every two seconds. Damn it. Where was he? I saw Bosco shoot me a look from where he was sitting with Faith. I knew he was having the same misgivings I was regarding Sully. Maybe I should have stayed with him longer than I did. God...what if it had all been an act? What if he was back in his apartment drinking? What if...I couldn't even bear to think about the gun. I'd really thought that he was okay when I left him though, but now...I just didn't know what to think anymore...  
  
******  
  
Getting Sully to dry out had been worse than I could have imagined. Those days in the cabin, watching him suffer, listening as he lashed out at us, hurling insults, trying to hurt us in any way he could...  
  
"Son of a bitch."  
  
"I should have never asked you for help."  
  
"You want to do something for me? Get the hell out of my life."  
  
"I never wanted you around me. Never."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
I'd try not to let the stuff he was saying get to me. I guess it was impossible to totally remain unaffected. As much as I told myself he didn't know what he was saying, that he really didn't mean it, it still hurt. I managed to keep it together though until he told me that he was the reason my dad had been killed.   
  
"The bullet that killed your father was meant for me."   
  
That had really thrown me, and then he had started mouthing off, talking about my father supporting two families and stealing every dollar he could get his hands on. I'd finally just lost it. I'd lunged at Sully. Bosco and Doc had to pull me away. I knew I shouldn't have let him get to me like that, but I had.   
  
"Don't you understand? Every good thing in my life dies because of me!"  
  
That was when it hit me - when I really knew just what Sully had been carrying around inside him. Guilt...a tremendous amount of guilt - Guilt over the death of my father, guilt over Tatiana's death, guilt over me getting shot - blaming himself for things that just weren't his fault...   
  
Finally we'd been able to return home. Bosco had dropped Sully off at his apartment and I got out of the car as well. I wasn't sure if Sully would fight me, try to get me to leave. If he had, I would have left. I guess he had every right to be sick of me by that point, but as it happens, he didn't. I followed him inside and he didn't say a word. I wasn't really sure what to say either, but I needed to come up with something...anything to break the silence.  
  
"You should get some rest."  
  
He gave me this surprised look, almost like he hadn't even known I was there. Then, after a long few moments, he nodded. "Yeah...yeah I should." He shuffled off towards his bedroom, turning back to look at me before he entered. "Make yourself at home."  
  
"Thanks," I said quietly, nodding as he closed his bedroom door behind him.   
  
I decided to straighten up his place a little bit while he was asleep. I washed the dirty dishes that were stacked in his sink and scrubbed his countertops. Then I went into his living room and picked up the empty takeout containers and coffee cups that had tumbled to the floor the night we nabbed Sully to take him to the cabin. I looked around and found that the place looked halfway decent so I plopped down on the couch. The thought of going back to my apartment and sleeping for a week was more than a little bit appealing, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave Sully alone...not yet...   
  
I turned on the television set and mindlessly flicked through the channels, but then turned it off again a few minutes later. I wasn't in the mood for t.v. Sully's couch wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world for a tall guy like me, but I was dog-tired and it really didn't matter. Both my mind and my body desperately needed rest, so I stretched out on his couch and before I knew it, I was sound asleep.  
  
******  
  
I wasn't sure how long I slept, but when I started to stir, I realized that there was a warm comforter covering me. I knew I was in Sully's apartment, but I didn't remember there being a comforter. I opened my eyes and I could see Sully who was just sitting in a chair, watching me.  
  
"Hey." I slowly sat up and gave him a long look. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"You've been asleep for a while," he commented, avoiding my question.   
  
"Yeah well...I was pretty tired." I was actually still tired, but figured I'd get some real rest once I was back at my apartment in my own bed.   
  
"I can see why."   
  
I examined him with my eyes, trying not to be too obvious about it. He looked much better. I mean he still wasn't looking great, but he was looking a whole lot healthier than he had looked at the cabin. "You're looking better..."  
  
"I feel like crap," he said, chuckling softly. I found myself smiling back at him. It wasn't much, but it was definitely a good sign.   
  
"That's understandable."   
  
We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. "Thanks for the comforter," I said finally. I knew it was stupid, but I couldn't really think of anything better at the moment.   
  
"You're welcome."  
  
I sighed softly, hating that even having a simple conversation between us was now so difficult. "I'm kind of hungry." I got up from the couch and began to fold the comforter neatly. "How about you? I could make us something or I could call for a pizza?"  
  
"I don't think I'm up for pizza," Sully said, with an expression of distaste. "Maybe just some soup."  
  
"Okay..." Of course he wouldn't want pizza after what he'd just gone through. I felt like an idiot for even suggesting it. I wasn't sure what I had been thinking. I walked out to Sully's kitchen and opened the first cabinet I came to, finding a bunch of dishes and glasses.  
  
"It's the one on the far left," Sully called from the living room.  
  
"Okay, thanks." I found the right cabinet and inside it was a large variety of canned goods; soups, vegetables, and canned spaghetti. I had a mental image of Sully coming home after work late at night and heating up a can of soup or whatever to eat and it made me feel sad. I'd known the guy was lonesome, but I just hadn't paid enough attention. I knew Bosco would be aggravated that I was taking on some of the blame for this, but Bosco wasn't here right now. "What kind of soup do you want, Sully? I called.   
  
"It doesn't matter, chicken, whatever." He sounded pretty weary. I opened up a can of chicken noodle soup and poured it into a pan to heat it. As I waited for the liquid to boil, I thought about what had transpired over the past few days. It was a lot to process really. I just hoped that we'd been successful. I was feeling pretty positive about it though. In the end, I felt like I'd finally managed to get through to Sully. I hoped he knew I cared about him no matter what.   
  
"Davis, what are you doing? It's boiling over!"  
  
Startled, I looked down at the soup, which was spilling over the sides of the pan onto the stove. "Shit." I quickly grabbed the handle of the pan and moved it from the burner, then turned off the stove. "Sorry," I said, giving him a sheepish look.  
  
"No big deal. I'll get some bowls." Sully opened up a cabinet and pulled out two bowls then handed them to me. I poured the soup into the bowls and put them down on the table while Sully went and got a couple of spoons and some saltines.   
  
"You want something to drink?" he asked.  
  
"Nah," I'm good."   
  
We sat down at the table and I watched as Sully crumbled some crackers into his soup. It was good to see that he was trying at least. We ate in relative silence. Small talk didn't really seem appropriate and I didn't think either of us was really up for any deep conversations with all that had happened. After we'd finished, I got up and reached for the bowls to take them to the sink.  
  
"Davis, don't. I'll take care of it."  
  
"Uh...yeah okay..." Sully got up and took the bowls to the sink, rinsing them and putting them in the drainer, while I stood there, feeling more than a little bit awkward.   
  
"You probably ought to get going," he said, turning towards me.   
  
"Okay..." I was a little reluctant, but I couldn't really think of any excuse to stay. I couldn't stay with the guy forever. At some point I was going to have to trust him and I guessed the time was now.   
  
We went into the living room and I put on my jacket and hat, knowing it was going to be a cold walk to the subway station. "So...you're okay?" I couldn't help asking the question. I guessed I just needed a little bit of reassurance.  
  
"Yeah. Don't worry."  
  
I nodded as I headed for the door. Just as I reached for the doorknob, he spoke.  
  
"Ty?"  
  
"Yeah?" I turned towards him, giving him an expectant look. "What is it, Sul?"  
  
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet nervously, looking down at the floor. Finally he raised his head to meet my gaze. "I just want to say...well thanks..."  
  
"You're welcome," I said, giving him a small smile. "Listen...I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Sully nodded as he returned my smile. "Yeah. See ya tomorrow."  
  
******  
  
That was the last contact I'd had with him. I'd considered calling him a number of times, but I'd decided not to. I didn't want him to think I was hounding him. I knew I needed to give him room to breathe. As the clock ticked on though, I was beginning to have some really serious doubts. Just when I had about given up hope, I saw Bosco trying to catch my eye and he nodded towards the door. There was Sully, wearing his uniform and looking ready to go. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, immediately feeling a whole lot better. After role call, I walked over to him and he handed me a cup. "Mocha Cappuccino," he said as he handed it to me.  
  
"Thanks." I smiled as we headed out to begin our patrol.  
  
"So... Are you doing okay?"  
  
"Yeah, not bad," he replied as he walked towards the passenger side of our RMP. "You can drive."  
  
I got in behind the wheel, put the key in the ignition and started to pull away from the station.   
  
"I went to an AA meeting..." His voice was soft, the words almost imperceptible, but I heard him.   
  
"You did?" I know I sounded surprised, but truthfully I was. I really hadn't expected that at all.   
  
"Yeah I did, don't sound so surprised," Sully said with a bit of a chuckle. "Figured I didn't want all that you guys did to go to waste so...I'm willing to give it a shot."  
  
"That's great news, Sul..." I was grinning like a fool, but I couldn't help it. This was the best news he could have given me. I knew Sully still had a bumpy road ahead of him, but hopefully this would be a brand new beginning for him. 


	2. Sully's POV

Title: A New Beginning - Post Scene to Last Call   
Author: Lynne Facella  
Email: lynne1919@aol.com  
Spoilers: Through current season 4  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.  
Summary: Sully and Ty return home after what happened at the Cabin. Sully's point of view.   
  
******  
  
Finally we were on our way home. I was exhausted, just totally wiped out. It had been a hell of a past few days. No matter what I'd said or done, in my desperate attempts to get a drink, I'd been thwarted.   
  
I gave them credit for sticking with me the way they did. Hell, Bosco wasn't even what I would call a friend, but he'd put up with my crap. Even now, I couldn't even believe half the shit I'd said to him.   
  
"He probably drinks because he can't stand to be sober around you."  
  
Imagine what its like for him, having a son like you. I'd drink myself silly too."  
  
He hates your guts, Bosco."  
  
It was cruel. I said things to him I had no right to say, stuff he definitely didn't deserve to hear. I had no idea why Bosco didn't hightail it out of the cabin, telling me to go to hell, but it told me a lot about the guy's character that he stayed.  
  
And then there was Davis... He continued to astound me. No matter how much abuse I heaped on him, he kept coming back for more. In some sick way, I'd wanted to see just how far I could push him, almost like a game.   
  
"Don't you know that just looking at you makes me remember? I never wanted you around me. Never."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
Of course I didn't mean it. I hoped he knew I didn't mean it...  
  
Bosco pulled up in front of my building and I heard Davis ask if he would hang onto his bag until the next day. Guessed I wasn't getting rid of him so easily. I grunted a quick "thanks" at Bosco and quickly got out of the car. The sooner I was back inside my own apartment, the better I was going to like it. I didn't think I wanted to spend another day in the great outdoors for as long as I lived. I started towards the building without even acknowledging Davis who was trailing along behind me. We walked up to my apartment and it wasn't until we were inside that he actually said something. "You should get some rest." I looked at him in surprise - guess I really hadn't expected him to say anything to me.   
  
I headed into my bedroom, telling him to make himself at home. I really wanted to take a shower, but just didn't have the energy to do it. I didn't even bother to change my clothes, just climbed into bed. As tired as I was though, I couldn't fall into a sound sleep. I could hear Davis clattering around my apartment, obviously cleaning it up for me. Maggie had done a hell of a job raising this kid. His father would have been proud. With that thought in my mind, I finally felt my eyes begin to close and I drifted off to sleep.  
  
When I woke up, I glanced at the clock on the bedside table and realized that I hadn't been asleep for very long at all. I just lay there for a while, listening to the stillness in the apartment. It was so quiet that I wondered if Davis had decided to go on home. I rolled out from under the covers and quietly padded out of the bedroom to the living room. He was still there, stretched out on the couch, fast asleep. I went back into the bedroom and opened up the closet, pulling a down comforter down from the top shelf. It had been Tatiana's favorite. She'd really loved the damn thing, had always gone on about how warm it was. Since her death, I hadn't been able to bring myself to use it, but I couldn't bear to get rid of it either. I brought the comforter back out to the living room and gently covered Davis with it. I stood there, looking at him for a few long moments, before deciding to take a long overdue shower.  
  
After a steamy hot shower, I was beginning to feel almost human again. I changed into a clean pair of pants and a shirt and went back into the living room. Davis was really dead to the world. He hadn't budged since I left him. Thinking to myself that I really needed to get more furniture, I brought a chair from the kitchen into the living room. Then I just sat there, watching Davis sleep. Guessed I'd really taken a lot out of him. Now that I was looking at the world through clearer eyes, I could see how badly he'd wanted to help me. Pissed as I was that he'd gone to the union, I knew he must have been at the end of his rope to have done it.   
  
With all the shit I'd hurled at him, he'd still hung in there, refusing to leave my side. I'd really thought I'd gotten to him though when I told him his father was dead because of me, and then I'd made that crack about his father having to support two families and stealing every dollar he could get his hands on. He'd come at me then and I had been mentally cheering him on to beat the crap out of me. Bosco and Doc had hauled him off me though and he'd gotten himself back under control. God...looking back, I wasn't quite sure how I could have said that to him.   
  
"I'm sorry, Ty," I murmured, apologizing to both of my partners, father and son, past and present. Both who meant the world to me.   
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you," I whispered, hastily swiping at the tears I could feel starting to well in my eyes. I just cared about him so much and was so damn scared that I was going to end up getting him killed one of these days.   
  
"Don't you understand? Every good thing in my life dies because of me!"  
  
That was the truth, plain and simple. When I'd screamed that at him, I'd gotten to the heart of the matter. I wasn't strong enough to lose another person in my life the way I'd lost Ty's dad and Tatiana...the way I had almost lost Ty... Much better to push him away, hell I would have rather he hated me forever as long as he was safe. He wouldn't back down though. I'd given it my best shot, but he'd still stuck by me.  
  
"I'm not leaving. This is where I belong. And it's not because of you. It's because of me. We're partners...family..."  
  
I thought of him as family too, probably a lot more than he was even aware of. I was so completely lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even realized that Ty was awake, watching me as intently as I was watching him. He asked how I was, but I didn't really answer him, not wanting to talk about myself anymore.  
  
He decided to fix us something to eat after I nixed his suggestion of pizza. I'd thrown up so many times in the past few days and I knew there was no way I could handle eating pizza. I figured I could keep soup down so I agreed to that. I could hear him banging around in the kitchen and then just more silence. Finally I decided to get up off my ass and join him. When I got into the kitchen, he was standing there at the stove, obviously a million miles away, since the soup was boiling over and he didn't even seem to notice.   
  
"Davis, what are you doing? It's boiling over!" I shouted at him, bringing him back out of his little dream world.   
  
I got some bowls, spoons and crackers and we sat down together to eat. It was the quietest meal I could remember having, at least with him. I couldn't help longing for the days when we'd tease each other back and forth, joking and laughing... Hell, we'd sung "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" in the RMP. We'd gone through such a lot together, good and bad. I still had my mom, but she didn't even know who I was anymore. Pretty much Ty was it...the most important person in my life.   
  
We finished eating and he started to gather up the dishes, but I stopped him. He'd done enough...more than enough. I needed to start to do things for myself again. He needed to let me. I brought the dishes to the sink and quickly washed them, then turned back to Davis who didn't seem to know what to do with himself.   
  
"You probably ought to get going," I said to him. I knew he had to be exhausted and that he needed to be home in his own bed, not here on my couch. He seemed a little bit reluctant to leave, and truthfully, it wasn't like I was trying to get rid of him. But it was what had to be done. I knew he wanted to do it all for me, but I couldn't let him. It wasn't good for him and it definitely wasn't good for me.   
  
I watched quietly as he put on his jacket and hat and headed towards the door. There was so much I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't find the words just now. I knew I had to say something though.  
  
"Ty?" I said softly, just as he was about to open the door. He turned back to me and I finally just told him thanks. It wasn't much, but I could tell by the look on his face that it was enough for him. All he wanted was for me to be okay and hopefully I'd be able to do that for him.   
  
******  
  
After Ty left, I decided to head back to bed and hopefully to sleep. This time I was much more successful than the first time. I slept straight through until the following morning. When I awoke, I felt better than I had in some time. I showered, shaved and dressed and then went into the kitchen, deciding to clean out the refrigerator. The milk was well beyond the expiration date and there were some other things that I didn't even recognize. I did a thorough cleaning job and then headed to the market to get some groceries.   
  
It wasn't until later in the day, after I'd put everything away and had eaten some lunch, that I started thinking about things. Tatiana's comforter was still lying neatly folded on the couch, where Ty had left it the day before. The thoughts were beginning again. I restlessly paced around the apartment, feeling cooped up, like I needed to get out. Only thing was, I wanted to go to a bar. I forced myself to think of Davis' face, the things I'd said to him, the look in his eyes as I said them. I couldn't do it to him. I just couldn't. I found a phone book and fumbled through the pages, finally finding what I was searching for. It wasn't what I wanted, but I guessed it was what I needed to do.  
  
******  
  
The AA meeting went okay. I didn't speak or anything. No way was I ready for that, but I went and I listened and it got me through until it was time for my shift. I ended up running a little on the late side, partly because of the meeting, partly because I stopped for mocha cappuccinos before I got to the station. Davis liked them and I hoped he'd see it as a sign that I really wanted things to work out.  
  
I was going to try anyhow...it was the best I could do for now... 


	3. Bosco's POV

Title: A New Beginning - Post Scene to Last Call (3/3)  
Author: Lynne Facella  
Email: lynne1919@aol.com  
Spoilers: Through current season 4  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.  
Summary: Post scene to Last Call - Bosco's point of view.   
  
******  
  
Man I was tired... I glanced over at Sully who was sittin' in the front seat beside me as I drove. He was quiet, calm...first time I'd seen him like that in a while. He'd been far from that over the past few days. Davis had offered to drive, but I'd insisted. My headache was better and somehow it gave me the feeling that I had some control back over things. Everything up at the cabin had spiraled far beyond anyone's control. I was glad it was over...glad to get back to some kind of normalcy.  
  
When the union rep had called me to say Davis needed help with Sullivan, I'd agreed to help without question. Davis was a good guy and Sullivan...well...I had a sort of a grudgin' respect for him. I knew he'd gone through a lot of stuff and if they really thought we could do this, I'd do my part.  
  
I'd known it could be bad. Hell it was bad with my own friggen family, but Sully...well, I just hadn't known how mean the guy could be. I knew he didn't love me or nothin' but even so...  
~~~~~~  
"He probably drinks because he can't stand to be sober around you. Imagine what its like for him, having a son like you. I'd drink myself silly too."   
  
I'd beat the crap out of your mother for ever having you in the first place.   
~~~~~~  
  
I knew he'd just been tryin' to push my buttons, doing anything and everything so I'd give him some of that damn poison in a bottle he was cravin' so much, but even so...I admit that it hurt. Brought back memories of things I just didn't want to think about.   
  
~~~~~~  
"He hates your guts, Bosco."  
~~~~~~  
  
No shit. Tell me somethin' I didn't know already, Sully.   
  
It had been one helluva night for sure. Then the jag-off had walloped me over the head, perfect ending to a perfect night.,,  
  
******  
  
I pulled the car up in front of Sully's apartment building and Davis asked me if I'd keep his stuff until the next day. I was gonna tell him that he wouldn't be able to baby-sit Sully forever, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. Hell, who was I to give advice anyhow? Wasn't like my partnership with Faith was in terrific shape these days. I watched as Davis followed Sully into the building, and then I pulled away. I knew Cruz had the day off, but I wasn't in the mood to see her. Not like I could talk to her about what had gone on anyhow. I wasn't about to confide in her something that could get Sully into trouble. Hell, truth was I didn't trust her...not like Faith...never like Faith...  
  
******  
  
"What'd you do with my money, bitch!" Maurice watched in horror as his dad punched his mom in the stomach, sending her crashing back into a wall.  
  
"We needed some food. The kids have to eat," she screamed back. She was on the floor now, cowering, knowing he'd be coming at her again.  
  
"And I work hard!" he thundered. "I have a right to a lousy drink once in a while!"   
  
"Once in a while? Oh that's rich," she laughed scornfully.  
  
He started towards her again, was just about on her when Maurice ran to them, putting himself in front of his mother.  
  
"Don't, daddy. Leave her alone!"  
  
"Maurice, no, run!" His mom was pleading, crying for him to get out of the way, but he wouldn't. He stood there, scared, but defiant, needing to defend his mother, hardly flinching at all as he saw his father's fist coming right towards his face..  
  
******  
  
Shit. I awoke in a sweat, my whole body trembling. I guessed I'd been asleep for a while since it was night now and my bedroom was shrouded in darkness. I quickly reached for the lamp, turning it on. Only then was I able to calm myself down. Man...it had been a while since I'd had one of those nightmares. Guess I could thank Sully for this one. I flung the covers aside and got up out of bed to head for the shower. After that, I got dressed, feeling really jumpy and restless. I knew I wouldn't be sleeping again any time soon.  
  
I found myself thinking back to what happened up at the cabin once again. The stuff Sully had said to Davis was stuff he never should have said to his partner.   
  
~~~~~~  
"Don't you know that just looking at you makes me remember? I never wanted you around me. Never."  
  
"I hate you."  
~~~~~~  
  
And what he said about Davis' father...that had been the clincher. It had shocked me. I couldn't even imagine what it had done to Davis. I'd thought he was gonna take Sully's head off, not that I blamed him, but it wouldn't have helped. Still, Davis had somehow gotten past all the shit Sully had been throwing at him.   
  
~~~~~~  
"I'm not leaving. This is where I belong. And it's not because of you. It's because of me. We're partners...family..."  
~~~~~~  
  
Partners...family. Oh yeah, he'd definitely gotten to me with that one. I'd watched as Davis embraced Sullivan, but I hadn't really been thinking about them. I'd been thinking about Faith and how bad things had gotten between us. I didn't like it at all. In fact, I hated it. Driving around with constant tension between us...not really knowing what to say and snapping at each other when we did speak...  
  
If Sully and Davis could get through what they were going through, why couldn't Faith and I? I glanced over at the digital display on my alarm clock and saw that it was almost time for Faith's shift to end... It was almost like some kind of omen or somethin'. I grabbed my jacket and headed out, determined to try with her one more time...  
  
******  
  
I sat out in my car, just waitin,, watchin' for Faith to emerge from the stationhouse. Finally I saw her. I watched her for a few moments, gettin' my nerve up before I scrambled out of the car and hurried towards her. "Faith."  
  
She turned towards me, a weary expression on her face. "Bos, not now. I'm tired."  
  
"Faith, come on. I just want to talk to you." I wasn't sure what it was, maybe something in the way I looked at her, but I could see she was relentin' and then she nodded.  
  
"Just a few minutes. I've got to get home."  
  
"Okay, that's fine." It was better than nothin' and at this point I was willin' to take whatever I could get.   
  
We walked over to where my car was parked. "You want to get in?" I asked her. "It's kinda cold out here."  
  
"I said a few minutes, Bos."   
  
She stood there, not giving an inch, not even looking back at me and for a moment I considered sayin' to hell with this, but I forced myself to focus on Davis and the progress he'd made with Sully. 'Stick with it Bosco,' I told myself.   
  
"So what are you doin' here anyhow? Cruz kick you out of bed?"   
  
I was kinda shocked at the harshness in her tone, the coldness in her eyes. This was not Faith. This was not -my- Faith.   
  
"You know what? Forget this. I'm sorry I came," I said angrily. Jesus, what was it with these people? Did I have a sign saying 'shit on me' plastered to my back? First Sully, now Faith...I'd had it with them...both of them. I turned away from her and was just about to open my car door when I felt her hand on my shoulder.   
  
"Bos...look I'm sorry. It was just a crap day..."  
  
Guess crap days were contagious. I hesitantly turned back towards her. Her expression had softened a little. Maybe she was willin' to listen to me now.   
  
"So...did you and Cruz have a fight?"  
  
"No," I shook my head, a little bewildered. "I didn't even see her today, Faith."  
  
"You didn't?" Okay, she was definitely surprised by that. "I just assumed...well I knew you were off and she was off and..."  
  
"Yeah well maybe you shouldn't always assume stuff about me..." I murmured, shooting her a wounded look. I mean, I had feelings too and everyone was stomping all over them today.   
  
"Okay...you're right. So...what's goin' on? Did somethin' happen?"  
  
"Yeah..." I found myself lowering my voice even though no one was around. "I was up at this cabin with Sully. Davis and I have been trying to get him to dry out..."  
  
"He's been drinkin?" she whispered, looking back at me with concern in her eyes.   
  
"Yeah and Faith...this is between you and me. No one else can know." Not that I really needed to say it. I knew she wouldn't tell anyone. Faith would never want to do anything that might harm Sully.   
  
"I had no idea," she said musingly.  
  
"Well, that's probably good. If you didn't notice, I doubt anyone else did either."  
  
"Is he okay?"  
  
"I hope so. He's home now. It...it was pretty bad though, Faith...really bad..."  
  
"Wow..." She leaned back against my car, taking in what I'd told her. "I hope Sully will be alright..."  
  
"He said all this stuff to Davis...really cruel things, but Davis...he just took it, you know? He was really pissed and he almost lost it, but he didn't. He just stuck with him, no matter what he said..."  
  
She was silent for a few moments, just standin' there, thinkin'. "Davis is a good guy," she finally said, her voice really soft.   
  
"Yeah he is," I agreed quietly. I stood there just gazing at her, willing her to look back at me, to -really- look at me. Finally she did. "He said he belonged with his partner...that Sully was his family..."  
  
I could see that she was actually listenin' to me now and it encouraged me to go on. "Faith... I hate the way things are between us. We need to work this out." I thought about what Davis had said to Sully and how true it was. "You are my partner, Faith...you are my family..."  
  
She quickly dropped her gaze, but not before I saw the tears that were beginning to glisten in her eyes. "Faith?" I whispered, laying my hand tentatively on her shoulder. "Please?"  
  
She raised her head then. I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks as she met my gaze and nodded. "Alright, Bos..." she said, "I'm willin' to try."   
  
"Thank you." I smiled at her then and took a step towards her. She gazed back at me for a long moment and then gave an almost imperceptible nod as I slowly put my arms around her and drew her gently in against me. I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding as she buried her head against my chest and I felt her arms around me, embracing me as tightly as I was holding her.   
  
I knew we still had a long way to go, but, standin' there holdin' Faith in my arms like this, I truly believed that we were going to get there... 


End file.
